Hold on a second, isn't Chandler a RB? Doesn't he play RB for Eintracht? Isn't he Yedlin's backup right now? I thought Castillo was FJ's backup, since he played 90 mins in both games vs Guatemala.
I thought footed-ness made the most difference among FBs, unless you're talking about Arjen Robben.
Chandler is a right back, but he has played left back for Klinsmann on a number of occasions. My instinct, which I assume is shared by
@Cellar-Door, is that since we lack good LB options, Chandler would be more likely to slide to LB than Yedlin. (In a scenario where FJ is moved to the midfield.)
Defensively, I don't usually have too many concerns about a fullback playing on the "wrong" side. Offensively, it can be much more of a problem. Sometimes players' instincts are all wrong going forward and crossing is an issue. Either you cross with the weaker foot or you have to cut back to cross with the stronger foot, which wastes time and is predictable for the opposing defender. So the value of Chandler's game that is lost when he lines up at LB certainly has to be part of the calculus.
I don't really see Nagbe sitting in a midfield two with Bradley -- he's more of a true CM or even a CAM isn't he?
Much digital ink has been spilled trying to answer the Nagbe question. He is an enigma and is difficult to categorize. For much of his professional career, he was used on the wing and was frustratingly inconsistent -- anonymous at times, too often for a player of his talents. Since he was moved inside for good during 2015, he has been an impact player with more regularity. He plays in a three-man midfield with Diego Chara who does most of the defensive dirty work and Diego Valeri, who is more of a classic playmaker.
He has the smoothness on the ball and the overall technical ability that you want from a #10, but he doesn't seem to have the instincts. I think over time the growing consensus is that he has a bigger impact on the game when he sits a little deeper in the midfield. He is good at connecting the team and bringing others into the game (33/33 passing last night), he is respectable defensively (not a DM, but enough to handle a box-to-box role), and he is capable of the occasional electrifying run forward with the ball.
I am not certain that a Bradley-as-6, Nagbe-as-8 midfield will work, but I do think it's worth trying. When you set aside oldies like Beckerman and Jones, I think Bradley+Nagbe are the clear top two talents at CM, so getting both in a functional midfield is appealing. The question is how Nagbe adapts to the role and whether Bradley can avoid the stupid shit his prone to doing as a DM, like the dumb foul at the end of the game and occasionally getting sucked out of position (which to his credit wasn't an issue last night).
I'd be curious to hear
@steeplechase3k's take, as a frequent Timbers viewer.